Vacaville City Council to review 2012 feats

Budget woes and other setbacks couldn't hold Vacaville down last year, as revealed in the city's 2012 roundup of accomplishments.

Department officials will detail their achievements during Tuesday's City Council meeting.

"The work of our city employees provides significant contributions to our community safety and quality of life enjoyed by our residents," City Manager Laura Kuhn wrote in a staff report. "This report provides an opportunity for city departments to show what city staff accomplishes on a day-to-day basis to keep the city of Vacaville operational."

Just a sprinkling of last year's accomplishments include:

* Passing measures I and M, two tax initiatives that will help to alleviate the city's financial situation.

* Negotiating a new trash hauling and recycling franchise agreement with Recology.

* Began the process of wrapping up redevelopment issues within the city.

* Negotiated continuation of concessions with all bargaining units.

* Implemented a two-tier retirement system for new public safety hires.

* Facilitated sublease of Mariposa Center by The Father's House to ensure after-school programs for lower-income, at-risk youth in the Mariposa neighborhood.

* Obtained the Kaiser Grant and the Cal Fresh Grant (food stamps) to assist Vacaville families with basic needs. Obtained a grant from Solano County, Transforming Communities, to educate the community on healthy living using a youth development model.

* Police Officer Chuck Bailey won the "Excellence in Traffic Safety" award by the California Office of Traffic Safety for making 131 DUI arrests in a year's period. This was the most of any police officer among the nine Bay Area counties. He also received the prestigious Mothers Against Drunk Driving Award.

* The Police Department's Traffic Section received a DUI Enforcement Grant this year totaling $55,350 and a $15,642 Distracted Driver Enforcement Grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety.

* The Fire Department took delivery of two new ambulances, scheduled to go into service by month's end, and received a Type 1 Cal EMA engine from the California Emergency Management Agency.

* Public Works employees completed $10.3 million of capital improvement project construction plans and contract documents and finished building projects worth $2.9 million.

* City Coach launched the City Coach Transit Travel Training program, which received the Solano Transportation Authority 2012 Project of the Year Award.

* The outfit was also recognized by the MTC within the Transit Performance Incentive program as the transit agency with the greatest efficiency and performance in Solano County.

* Utilities workers treated, pumped and sampled more than 5.5 billion gallons of high-quality drinking water that met all California Department of Health standards and regulations and completed the 2012 California Department of Public Health Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program Audit. It renewed the Water Quality Laboratory's certification for the next two years.

For a complete listing of achievements, go online to http://bit.ly/11w8pP7.

The Vacaville City Council meets at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chamber, 650 Merchant St.